This invention relates to metal mesh gloves that are made of interlaced metal ring meshes and that are suited for protecting hands, possibly the forearms and the arms of the user.
Metal mesh gloves are largely used on cutting stations in the meat industry as well as in any field where metal or glass sheets with sharp edges are handled.
Certain realisations are made of a metal mesh xe2x80x98handxe2x80x99 section, extended by a forearm protection sleeve of moulded plastic. This sleeve generally contains an external return section at its end that forms an obstacle or a stop member to prevent the progress of a knife blade or other tool, towards the unprotected section of the forearm or arm.
These plastic sleeves ensure efficient protection of the limb, but their presence complicates the assembly of the glove during manufacture. They also cause perspiration problems for the user""s limb and they are rather fragile.
To remedy these shortcomings, metal meshes fitted with a protection extension, also made of metal mesh, to cover the wrist and possibly the forearm and the arm of the user, have been suggested. At the end of this protection extension, a fastening member is designed for clamping purposes, or an add-on peripheral strap, made of braided fabric or of plastic fabric notably.
As foreseen in the document WO-A-96 11 595, the metal mesh protection glove may also comprise elastic clamping members in the form of spiral springs provided at the wrist and at the end of the protection extension, for holding the glove on the user""s limb.
But if in these latter cases, the covered limb sections are protected efficiently when a tool blade slips on the metal mesh fabric; it may easily reach the end of the protection extension and injure the person at a non-covered section of the member, i.e. even in spite of an end clamping strap or an elastic spiral spring.
This invention suggests to remedy this shortcoming: it advises to this end to equip at least a portion of the periphery of the metal mesh protection extension, with a rigid protruding flange forming an efficient obstacle against the progress of a tool blade slipping on the metal mesh fabric, which flange is realised with an add-on circular buckle-shaped structure, of rigid fabric, joined to the metal mesh fabric by any appropriate means.
The thickness of this rigid flange ranges preferably between 1 and 1.5 cm. Preferably, it covers at least the larger section of the metal mesh extension periphery in order to provide efficient protection.
This flange is advantageously provided at the end of the metal mesh extension, but one or several other flanges can be provided between the said end and the xe2x80x98handxe2x80x99 section of the glove.
According to a preferred embodiment, this glove comprises a metal mesh extension in the form of a complete sleeve deprived of lateral slots, which extension is fitted with a rigid protruding flange at its end, extending over at least a section of the periphery of the opening for inserting the hand.
According to a possible embodiment, the rigid protruding flange consists of a circular buckle that is added on undersizes or in a hem provided on the metal mesh extension.
According to another possibility, this flange consists of a circular buckle fitted with a number of orifices for fastening on the metal mesh fabric using metal junction rings.
The rigid circular buckle is advantageously shaped as a torus or a hooked section structure; it is made of rigid plastic or metal fabric; its section depends on the requested form and size of the end flange.
The rigid structure used may be in the form of an open buckle that may, after spreading, clamp the user""s wrist, forearm or arm slightly. The ends of the buckle may overlap each other in order to avoid any exposed area, deprived from the safety flange. In the latter case, the overlapping buckle ends are shaped so that the thickness of the flange at the overlapping zone is not greater than the thickness of the said flange outside the said overlapping zone.
To improve the comfort of use, the peripheral area of the wrist or forearm that is located in the extension of the auricular may be deprived of a flange or it may include a thinner flange; this enables limiting the user""s discomfort when he operates with his wrist or the forearm resting on a worktop, for example a cutting table.
Preferably, the metal mesh glove according to the invention also comprises at least one clamping member, for example in the form of a strap or a hook, at the wrist; possibly, stiffening members are provided between the said clamping member and the protruding end flange.
According to a particular embodiment, the glove is fitted with a metal mesh extension covering at least a portion of the user""s forearm and it contains a first protruding flange at the wrist, as well as a second protruding flange on the forearm. Both these flanges are each made of an add-on buckle attached to the metal mesh extension and both add-on buckles are linked together by one or several rigid structure(s) forming one or several stiffening member(s) retaining the extension on the user""s forearm.